A Saudi Arabian medical team has completed a five-day programme of free open-heart surgeries and cardiac catheterisation procedures in Kano, Nigeria.
The initiative was organised by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), the official humanitarian arm of the Saudi government. It ran from August 18 to 22, 2025, at a Kano medical facility, with the participation of 25 Saudi medical volunteers.
According to officials, the team successfully performed dozens of complex heart surgeries and catheterisation procedures during the outreach. The patients, many of whom could not have afforded such care, received the treatments at no cost.
In a statement on Friday, KSrelief explained that the Kano project forms part of its global voluntary medical programme, which has provided similar interventions in countries across Africa and Asia.
“This campaign demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s commitment to delivering advanced healthcare to vulnerable communities,” the centre said. “Our goal is to alleviate suffering and provide life-saving treatment at no cost to patients.”
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria also confirmed the successful completion of the programme through its media officer, Mohammed Alsahabi, who described the intervention as a humanitarian gesture with practical impact.
Saudi officials noted that in recent months, KSrelief teams have conducted comparable medical missions in Yemen, where dozens of open-heart surgeries and over 140 catheterisations were performed in Mukalla.
Tanzania, where paediatric open-heart operations were carried out.
Mauritania, where 37 minimally invasive laparoscopic heart surgeries were completed.
Indonesia (Medan), Uzbekistan (Tashkent), and Tajikistan (Dushanbe), where more than 200 combined surgeries and catheterisations were conducted.
These projects, officials noted, are designed not only to provide medical relief but also to build stronger international partnerships through healthcare assistance.
The Kano outreach marks Nigeria’s inclusion in the KSrelief programme. Patients and their families in Kano have expressed gratitude, with local health workers noting that such advanced heart procedures are often costly and out of reach for many residents.
